Harry Potter and the Werewolf From Hell
by rylanaj
Summary: Harry met an interesting man during his seventh winter: Fenrir Greyback.
1. Chapter 1: Once Bitten

Chapter 1

1987

Harry Potter snuggled into his blanket. He was in the backyard, doing his best to get some sleep. He'd accidentally gotten a smudge on the television, so Uncle Vernon had tossed him a raggedy blanket, and shoved him into the yard for the night.

Harry shivered. He knew he should be more careful during winter. This wasn't the first time Vernon had given him this particular punishment, and Harry knew all the different ways of avoiding trouble. Every once in a while, though, he accidentally slipped.

"Oh, well." He murmured to himself. "It's only till tomorrow."

***

Fenrir Greyback licked his lips. He'd avoided eye contact with the moon for most of the night, getting into position. Finally, however, he was ready. Summoning his magic to his command, he looked at the moon.

It wasn't commonly known, but if a Wizard is bitten before turn eleven, their magic is enhanced greatly. Greyback was bitten when he was four. He'd gotten control over his magic quickly after that. Ever since, every transformation he'd undergone was through his choice. He needed the moon as a trigger, but the wolf inside him was subdued utterly. It really helped in his quest of biting children. A typical werewolf would just eat them.

Greyback sniffed the air. Only one Wizard child in the neighborhood. Disappointing, but he could work with that. As long as he took the Muggle children with him, the Ministry wouldn't be able to… deal with them. First, the Wizard.

***

Harry heard a rustling noise in the bushes. He got up, moving closer. "Hello?" he called softly. Maybe it was an animal? If he could feed it, he might be able to hide it in the shed.

A muzzle poked out. Harry smiled. "Hi, there. Are you hungry? I can't get it now, but there's some meat in the house. If you stay in the shed, I can get it to you in the morning."

The canine in front of him made a _whuff_ing sound. To Harry, it almost sounded like laughter. The muzzle came forward, revealing the rest of the body. Harry realized that this _wasn't_ a dog. He'd read about creatures like this in school. A werewolf.

"Oh." Harry gulped. "Are you… going to eat me?"

The werewolf laughed again, but shook his head.

"Oh… Are you going to… That is…"

The werewolf made a biting motion.

"Yeah, that. Is that what you're going to do?"

The werewolf nodded. He could smell Harry's fear, but it didn't seem to be about himself. What was the boy afraid of?

"Could you… Could you not do that?" Harry was almost begging. "I wouldn't mind so much, except my uncle already hates me. He might kill me if he learns I'm a werewolf…"

***

"He might kill me if he learns I'm a werewolf…"

Greyback growled in his throat. He knew from the boy's tone that he wasn't exaggerating. Even among werewolves, who could be extremely vicious at the drop of a hat, harming a child was unheard of. Especially since werewolves didn't breed their own kind. Any children were normal Wizards, if on the higher side of the power spectrum.

_Well,_ Greyback thought to himself. _I may not be able to look after this child myself, but I can give him a few advantages. The bite won't take effect until next month. Plenty of time._

Greyback picked the boy up, and bit his arm. The venom in the bite immediately rushed through the young body, putting him to sleep. Greyback put him down, covering him with the blanket. _No time for the Muggle brats now. I'd better hide until sun-up._

***

As the sun rose, it's rays fell gently on the form of Harry Potter. Harry stretched languidly, yawning. His tongue curled up slightly as he did so. He sat up, and a piece of paper fell off his chest. _Wait. Not paper._ It was thicker, and had a yellow color. Strange. He picked it up.

Hello, young one. My name is Fenrir Greyback. We met last night.

_Considering who you live with, I'm fairly certain you aren't aware that you are a Wizard. Trust me when I say that you are. I could smell the magic on you. In fact, you're the only one of our kind in your area. I say 'our' because I, like yourself, am a Wizard._

_You may have noticed strange things happening around you. Things that no one can quite explain. That's your magic at work. These things will happen more often now, since the werewolf curse enhances your magic. Not many are aware of that, even among the werewolf packs. I became aware of it soon after I was bitten, and now I'm telling you._

_Those Muggles (Non-Wizards) you live with beat you. I was able to smell that as well. The bruises make you smell very bloody. If you take hold of your magic, you'll be able to defend yourself. Here's what you do. Get into a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Focus on a single thought, no matter what it is, to the exclusion of all else. Once you've gotten to that point, sensing your magic will be easy. The rest… I can't really describe it. You'll know what to do._

_Good luck, kid. I'll see you in a month._

Harry blinked. Huh. Not what he expected. But… the wolf that was now in him said that this was the truth.

Shrugging, Harry got comfortable. He closed his eyes, and began focusing on a single thought: Cold. The cold he'd felt last night. It was fresh in his memory.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but slowly, the rest of the world fell away. The cold became the center of his universe. And… there was something else. Just to the side. Harry refocused on it. It was bright, almost blindingly so. Harry 'reached' for it, pulling it to himself. He was instantly filled with warmth. This was his magic. He knew it wasn't finished growing, but it was close. He fused with it properly, feeling his body tingle with power.

Finally, he opened his eyes. What he saw made him laugh. He was surrounded by walls of ice. He had been focusing on cold, and his magic had, apparently, put thought to form.

He dispelled it, and stood. He realized that his senses felt like they'd just woken up from a long sleep. His glasses fuzzed everything up, so he took them off. An incredible amount of information assaulted his senses. Down the street, Mrs. Figg was feeding her cats. In the house across from the Dursleys', the children were waking up, getting ready for school. In fact, Dudley was awake now. He was planning to come downstairs, and beat Harry until he was awake. And if Harry was already awake, he'd get a beating for being awake before Dudley.

Harry considered simply running. It was easier, and would free him from the Dursleys. On the other hand, that would put him on the streets, without a steady supply of food, and no shelter. Even a wolf knew to come in out of the rain.

Sighing, he invented a third option. He went inside, and started making breakfast. When Dudley came down, he smelled the food. "What are you doing?" he asked stupidly as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Making breakfast, Dudley." Harry responded. "How do you want your eggs this morning?"

Dudley frowned. He couldn't beat Harry up if he was cooking. That meant the food would take longer. Sighing, he sat down. "Scrambled. And I want toast, sausages, bacon, and orange juice."

Harry nodded. Reaching out with his magic, he pulled everything he needed to the counter, and began cooking in large quantities.

Dudley gaped at him. "How did you do that?!" He almost yelled.

Harry held a finger up to his lips. "I don't really know." he lied. "I just sort of… did it. Don't tell Uncle Vernon. He'll just beat me for it."

"Why shouldn't I?" Dudley demanded. "This just proves you're a freak."

Harry shrugged. "Well, I can make breakfast faster this way. You don't have to wait as long to eat." After a moment, Harry sat down across from his cousin. "Look. I know you're not as stupid as you let on. You just think being smart will make people shun you. You can probably see the advantages of knowing someone with these kind of abilities, so I'll make you an offer: You stop beating me, and make some effort to be nice, and I'll see to it no one messes with you if you start showing your real intelligence."

Dudley sat back, thinking about what Harry said. After a moment, he looked Harry in the eye. Harry looked back. Dudley didn't realize it, but Harry's entire body shifted into a dominant stance. The wolf was challenging Dudley.

Dudley cringed back, subconsciously accepting Harry's dominance. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. But what about Dad? He won't like this. Are you going to let him know?"

Harry's face was emotionless. "Let me worry about that. Just stay out of the way."

Dudley nodded, and Harry went back to cooking.

Eventually, Vernon and Petunia came downstairs. They were surprised to see breakfast already on the table. Their surprise increased when they saw Harry directing cups of coffee through the air.

"BOY!" Vernon roared. "STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!"

"Good morning, Uncle." Harry said calmly. "I had to guess how you wanted your eggs."

"I SAID STOP!" Vernon's face was turning an amazing shade of purple.

Harry shook his head sadly. "That's not how you get what you want. You should try saying 'please.'"

Vernon balled up his fist, and swung it at Harry. Harry dodged to the left, and Vernon's fist made contact with the solid wood table. He broke at least two bones, and the table split in two. Vernon roared in pain.

Harry looked at Vernon coldly. "Now look at that. You've ruined breakfast. I worked hard on that. Dudley." The larger boy jumped to attention. "Take a walk up to McDonald's. Bring me a hotcake special. Make sure they put cream and sugar in the coffee." Dudley nodded, and left.

Petunia looked at Harry in fear. "What have you done to him?!"

"Nothing, Aunt Petunia. He and I have come to an understanding. He's actually quite intelligent, once you get through what you lot did to him. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few years." Harry sat down. "Now, Vernon. I'm sure you know about what I am. Otherwise, you wouldn't have treated me as you have all these years. I learned about it last night."

Vernon sat down heavily. "How?" he hissed.

"Did you know that werewolves exist?" Harry asked. Vernon paled. Given that he'd already turned purple, this gave him a normal appearance. "I met one last night. He bit me on the arm." Harry rolled his sleeve back, showing the bite-marks. "He also left me a note, explaining." He passed it over.

Vernon read it, turning paler by the second. After a moment, he looked up at Harry. "What happens now?"

Harry shrugged. "Nothing special. From now on, you give me enough money to live on. I take the guest room as my own, and we pretend we don't exist. I live by myself, and we don't bother each other. Simple."

Vernon growled. "Give me one good reason."

Harry looked toward the kitchen. Seconds later, a meat cleaver came floating into the room. "Good enough, Uncle?"

Gulping, Vernon nodded.

"Good. Now, Aunt Petunia. May I suggest you take Uncle Vernon to the hospital? I think his hand needs a doctor."

***

In the next few weeks, things improved considerably. Each month, Harry was given 500 pounds. Vernon even gave him a small refrigerator, and a hotplate. Harry did is own shopping (Including some new clothes), as well as the yard work. He didn't mind, since he was now being paid. Petunia did the housework, deciding not to push their luck.

While Harry and Dudley weren't friends, they developed mutual respect. Dudley silently accepted his new role in the household. In wolf terms, he was Harry's beta. When they went to school, he walked behind Harry, just to the right. Piers Polkiss wasn't happy about that, until Harry arranged for Piers to have a slight accident. The other boy's arm spent a month in a cast. He was quite accepting of Harry after that.

Harry quickly rose in popularity. He was kind to almost everyone he met, and they were kind in return. Dudley followed that example, and became equally popular.

Harry was glad for his new control over his magic. It kept the 'unexplained occurrences' down. Nothing special happened at all. Not until the next full moon.

Harry moved into the shed. He and Vernon had agreed that he would hide in here during the transformation, since neither of them wanted that kind of attention. He removed his clothes, and put them into a corner.

"Hello, young one."

Harry turned around. A wild looking man was standing behind him.

"You're Fenrir Greyback?" Harry asked.

Fenrir nodded. "Yes." He grinned, showing fang-like teeth. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name last month."

"Harry Potter."

Fenrir's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Are you really?" He threw his head back, laughing. "Sweet Merlin! I turned the Boy-Who-Lived!" He looked at Harry, grinning madly. "I never thought I'd manage that."

Harry frowned. "What does that mean? The Boy-Who-Lived?"

Fenrir raised his eyebrow. "You don't know?" He snorted derisively. "Makes sense. You live with Muggles. Alright, sit down. It all started with a chap named Voldemort…"

***

Harry sat silently. Well, that was certainly a better explanation than his parents dying in a car crash. He looked up at Fenrir. "And you worked for him?"

Fenrir nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I would probably go back if I thought he was alive." He shrugged. "Little chance of that."

Harry nodded. "I understand. He promised freedom. Not much I wouldn't do for that. I know, because I've had a taste of a slave's life, and now I'm free." He grinned. "And it's because of you. Ironic."

Fenrir returned the grin. "Yeah." He stood. "Alright. You've got a handle on things. So, from now on, Surrey is your territory. You can do what you want here. I won't bother you."

He went to the door, but stopped. "And remember. You won't change unless you want to. Your magic is a great strength." He pulled out an envelope, setting it on a shelf. "This will tell you how to get to Diagon Alley. You'll need an adult with you, but you're going to need knowledge. Get a few books, study up." He placed a bag on top of the envelope. "Here's a few hundred Galleons to get you started. Good luck, cub." He left.

Harry took the bag and envelope, and sat down. For a traitor to his kind, Fenrir was an okay guy. Harry grinned. His life was going to take some interesting turns from now on.

***

July 31st, 1991

Harry cracked his neck as he came downstairs. He sat in the living room, turning the television onto the weather. He had a few plans today, and he needed to know if he was going to get rained out.

"Morning, Harry." Dudley sat down across from him.

"Morning, Dudley. Got your Smeltings stuff yet?"

"Should arrive later today. Got any plans? I don't think Mum and Dad will appreciate you celebrating your birthday here."

Harry nodded. "A few. Since I'm eleven, I'm going to buy a wand. One of my books, 'A History of Magic,' says that's the typical age. I'm expecting a letter with an offer for school soon."

Harry turned his attention back to the TV. The weather was supposed to be sunny and mild all day. Excellent. Harry stood. "Right. I'm heading for London. Feel like coming along? I know it's a bit of a ride, but it should be fun."

Dudley nodded. He and Harry had both began taking better care of themselves, with Harry bulking up a bit and Dudley losing a considerable amount of weight. They rode their bikes almost everywhere. "Sure. I haven't got anything better to do."

As they got to the front door, they spotted the mail on the floor. Harry picked it up, and took it into the kitchen. One of the letters caught his eye. It was made from parchment, like the letters Fenrir had written.

Harry opened it, read it, and grinned. "Excellent."

He walked back to Dudley. "Here it is. Whoever writes these must be psychic. 'If you wish to attend, go to the Leaky Cauldron no later than ten o'clock.' That gives us two hours."

Dudley nodded. "Let's get going, then."

***

A bike ride, and a trip through the underground later, the boys found themselves in London. They walked into the Leaky Cauldron, settling into stools in front of the bar.

"Ah! Hello, boys." Tom smiled as he walked up to them. They'd been coming here for years now, so Tom was quite familiar with them. "The usual?"

"Yeah, thanks Tom. Also, we're here to meet someone from Hogwarts. I got my letter today."

Tom nodded. "That'll probably be Hagrid. He handles that kind of thing. I'll send him your way if he comes in." Tom presented them with cups of tea, and wandered off.

After about half an hour, a large man came into the bar. Well, calling him 'large' wasn't entirely accurate. Humongous, or gigantic might be more appropriate. Harry sniffed the air. His senses told him that this man wasn't human. At least, not entirely. Half human, maybe. The man walked up to the bar, and Tom pointed him in the direction of the boys.

"Hello!" He said brightly. "Harry, and his cousin Dudley, right?" They nodded. "Call me Hagrid. I'm 'ere ter get yer school shoppin' done. Ready?"

Harry stood. "Almost. The only thing is, I've looked my school list over. I don't have enough money for all of it."

Hagrid waved it off. "Don't worry. Yer parents left yeh quite a bit. It's in our bank."

Harry frowned. "Gringotts? I have an account there. Why didn't they mention this?"

Hagrid looked surprised. "You have an account? You've been in Diagon Alley?"

"Sure. Been going since I was seven." He held out his hand. "I assume you have the key?"

Hagrid shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Eh… I don't know that Dumbledore'd want me ter…"

"I don't care. It's my money, isn't it? My parents are dead, after all." Harry gave him a challenging look.

The look made Hagrid sweat. As physically powerful as Hagrid was, in his mind, he wasn't a leader. Not an Alpha. He began digging into his pockets, pulling out… everything imaginable. Dog snacks, an owl, a few mice… Finally, he produced a small key. "There yeh are."

Harry took it, nodding. "Good. Let's go."

They went out behind the bar, and Hagrid opened the gateway. They headed for the bank.

Harry immediately headed for a teller. Pressing a switch on the counter, the floor raised him up on a pedastal until he was eye-level with the goblin. "I wish to make a withdrawal."

"You have your key?" The goblin asked. Harry held it up, earning a nod. "Very well. Griphook will assist you, as usual."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Geddon. How's Coran?"

"She's fine, Mister Potter. She got over the dragon pox last week. She was most appreciative of the Firewhiskey."

Harry grinned. "Glad I could help." He pressed the switch, and was lowered back to the ground.

Hagrid looked dumbstruck. "You know him? You're friendly with a goblin?"

Harry shrugged. "I know most of the goblins here. We've been on friendly terms ever since I opened an account." He saw Griphook coming up to him. "Listen, I can deal with this. Why don't you go have a drink in the Leaky Cauldron?"

Hagrid was about to object, but Harry gave him another 'look.' He nodded. "I've got a few errands I've got ter see to. I can do that."

Harry nodded back. "Good. Come on, Dud."

When they got into the underground cart, Harry turned to Griphook. "Griphook, why didn't anyone tell me about my parents' account?"

Griphook started the cart. "We weren't allowed to, Harry." Harry grinned. It'd taken him months to get them to stop calling him 'Mister Potter.' "Gringotts rules say that only a key holder may be informed of an account. We've tried to treat you with respect, but…"

"You can't break the rules." Harry nodded. "I understand."

Finally, they got to the vault. Harry went inside, filling a pouch he'd brought with him with galleons. He grinned. "That should take care of things for now." He turned back to Griphook. "Say, if my parents were rich, did they have anything else special? I've been researching for years, but I couldn't find anything."

Griphook hesitated. "I think it would be best if you met with the bank manager."

***

Harry sat in the bank manager's office. This was probably the only goblin he hadn't met, so he was looking forward to the meeting. After a few moments, an older goblin came in, and sat behind the desk. "Good morning, Mister Potter. I am the bank manager."

"Good morning, sir. Please, call me Harry. 'Mister Potter' makes me a bit uncomfortable." He smiled easily.

The old goblin nodded. "As you wish. You may call me Ragnok. Now, I believe Griphook told me you wish to know of your family's holdings?"

"Yes, sir. I was wondering how they became so wealthy, and if there was anything special about them."

Ragnok nodded. "I see. Well, your father inherited much of his wealth. Your mother was Muggle-born, so I am unsure of anything prior to her entering Hogwarts. She married your father immediately after graduation, and became a freelance Charm worker. She held a separate account from your father, which merged with his upon her death. Your father was an Auror. I believe their personal contributions, all totaled, account for 1/30th of the account's current balance.

"Your father was also Lord of the house of Potter, a pure-blood line. That title can be passed to you whenever you choose, since you are the only descendant of that line. He was also the only living descendant of both Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw. As such, you are also Lord of those houses, as soon as you accept the responsibility. Slytherin had other descendants, I'm told, but he only had one child with Ravenclaw. I believe that's all of it."

Harry sat in silent thought. He'd studied Wizarding law, so he knew what being a Lord meant. It was rather like in medieval times. He was legally an adult, and had a reserved seat on the Wizenagamot. If he was the lord of three houses, he'd have three seats. That meant he'd be almost untouchable. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "I want to accept the lordships. Can we do that now?"

Ragnok nodded. "Of course." He reached into a drawer in his desk. "I keep things of that nature here. My desk has almost as many charms and wards as Hogwarts itself." He passed the rings over.

Harry put them on his right hand. One on his ring finger, one on his middle finger, and one on his index finger. They glowed blue for a moment.

Ragnok inclined his head. "You are recognized as Lord Potter-Ravenclaw-Slytherin. You may use any of the three names, or the hyphenated version."

Harry grinned. "I think I'll stick with Potter, for now. Easier on the tongue." He stood. "Is that all? I've got a bit of shopping to do."

Ragnok nodded. "Of course, Lord Potter."

"I asked you to call me Harry."

Ragnok grinned. "You do realize that you've just done something that no Wizard has done in centuries? A goblin being asked to refer to a Lord of ancient and noble houses by his proper name is the equivalent of proposing an alliance between the goblins and yourself."

Harry shrugged. "Well, I don't want you as an enemy. If it makes you uncomfortable…"

Ragnok shook his head. "Not at all, Harry. And as before, I am Ragnok." The lights in the room glowed brighter for a second, then dimmed. "Good luck at school." The goblin grinned. "If you need any help, call me on the floo-network."

***

Harry rejoined his cousin out in the lobby. "Hey, Dud. Hagrid back yet?"

"Yeah." Dudley grinned. "He looked a bit peaked, and ran into the loo. I think his breakfast is making a reappearance."

Harry sniggered. "Poor guy. Those carts do take some getting used to."

Dudley joined in the laughter as Hagrid walked up to them. "There yeh are, Harry. All done?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Let's get our shopping done."

They went to the bookshop first, then to the apothecary. Hagrid carried the packages easily. After getting Harry's school robes, Harry went to get his wand. Hagrid went off to buy Harry a birthday present, taking Dudley with him.

Harry entered the shop. Unlike most his age, this was the second time he'd been here. He'd come in a few months before to pick out a wand, since he'd read that it could be a lengthy process. "Mr. Ollivander. Are you here? It's Harry Potter."

Ollivander came out from the many shelves. "Ah! Mr. Potter. Excellent. I've just put the finishing touches on your wand." He held it out. "A charm to make it unbreakable, another to keep it's finish from fading, and the special handle." He grinned proudly. "Some of my best work, I must say."

Harry took it, admiring the wolf's head handle. He nodded. "Right. Thank you. Do I owe you any extra?"

Ollivander shook his head. "No. Enjoy the wand."

Harry nodded, and stepped outside. He spotted Hagrid coming out of Eyelop's Owl Emporium. He was holding a cage, with a snowy owl inside. Harry jogged over to them. "Hey, Hagrid."

"Done already?" Hagrid asked. "Took me hours to get a wand to choose me."

Harry shrugged, and looked at the owl. "For me?"

Hagrid nodded. "Yeah. She oughta be useful. Shopkeeper called her 'Hedwig.'"

Harry nodded. "Good name." He took the cage from Hagrid, and opened it. Hedwig flew out, perching on his shoulder. Harry felt a tendril of his magic connect to her. "Hello. You comfortable?"

Hedwig's head bobbed up and down.

"Cool."

***

September 1st

After a bit of prodding, Dudley got Vernon to drive Harry to King's Cross Station. They were silent the entire time, and Harry got his luggage onto a trolley. Vernon left quickly.

Harry headed for platform nine. He'd studied 'Hogwarts: A History,' so the barrier was well known to him. When he got to it, a group of people was already there. Harry classified them as a family, since they all smelled alike. Not to mention they all had fiery red hair.

Harry walked up to them calmly, waiting until they'd all gone through. The eldest, obviously the mother of the group, noticed him. "Oh! Hello. Going to Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Don't mind me, you all go on."

"Don't be silly! You go on through. We don't mind. I'm Molly Weasley, and these are my children. Fred, George… No, switch that around. This is Ron, and finally, my daughter Ginny."

Harry nodded to each in turn. "Harry Potter."

Harry could smell their reactions. Fred and George were excited, easily expressed by their grins. Molly was apprehensive, Ron was a mix between worried and disappointed, and Ginny was… Good gods, she was aroused! What the hell was that?!

Harry felt an intense need to move on. He cleared his throat. "Right. See you all at school." He hurried through the barrier. He carried his luggage onto the train, along with Hedwig, and settled into an empty compartment.

After a few moments, three girls came in. They spotted Harry, and paused. The one in the lead spoke up. "Are you expecting anyone?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Good. Mind if we join you?"

"Not at all."

They sat down. The first girl spoke again. "My name is Lavender Brown. This is Padma and Parvati Patil."

Harry looked at the Indian girls. This was the second set of twins he'd met today. He was thankful for his sense of smell. He was able to tell them apart easily. "I'm Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you."

All three girls' eyes lit up. "Really?" Padma asked. "Where have you been all these years? It's been something of a mystery among the Wizarding public."

"Living with relatives." He answered. "They're Muggles, so I've been under the radar a bit. I learned about the Wizarding world when I was seven."

"Do they give you any trouble about it?" Parvati asked. "I've heard that Muggles can be a bit jealous of their Wizard relatives."

Harry almost burst out laughing. Jealousy wasn't the Dursley's problem. "No. We have an understanding. I stay out of their way, they stay out of mine."

They continued talking for a while. Not long before the train began moving, Harry's ears picked up Molly's voice in the station. "Now remember, Ron. Dumbledore wants you to befriend Harry. He said it's very important that he know a light family."

"I know, Mum. I heard you the first fifty times."

Harry frowned. He knew of Dumbledore from his studies. Why would he care about who Harry had for friends? This bore investigation.

Not long after, Harry's ears picked up someone walking toward the compartment. The door opened, revealing Ron. He frowned as he saw that the compartment was full. "Oh… Sorry. Just looking for a seat." He slid the door closed.

Harry wore a small smirk. One point for him.

***

Harry rolled his eyes as he got up to the castle. Why would a society of magic users send their students to the school in _boats_? In the immortal words of the Chesire Cat, 'We're all mad here!'

A stern looking woman began speaking to them. Harry didn't really pay attention. He was acclimating to the number of scents and sounds coming from the castle. He'd experienced something similar when he went to London, although this was a bit more intense. He could literally smell the magic in the air.

The woman finished her speech, and led them into the next room.

Harry had read about this room. It was the Great Hall. All meals were held here, as well as parties, and the Sorting ceremony. Which, by the look of things, was starting now.

The stern woman picked up a scroll. "Abbot, Hannah."

A blonde girl walked up to her, and sat on the provide stool. An old hat was placed on her head. A rip, just above the brim, opened, and it spoke. Or rather, it shouted. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

One of the four tables erupted into applause. Hannah joined her new house.

'Bones, Susan' was also sorted into Hufflepuff, and Lavender was called. The hat was silent for a moment, then shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Lavender joined the applauding students.

'Granger, Hermione' went to Gryffindor, 'Greengrass, Daphne' was sorted into Slytherin, and 'Li, Su' into Ravenclaw. 'Longbottom, Neville' went to Gryffindor, and 'Malfoy, Draco' went into Slytherin.

Finally, it was Harry's turn. He sat down on the stool, and rather than have the hat placed on him, took the hat and put it on.

_Oh, my… Lord Potter, it's an honor. Well, as an heir of at least one founder, you have the right to choose your house. Any preference?_

Harry gave it some thought. Gryffindor was the most popular house, which made it an obvious choice. However, that would give Harry more attention than he wanted. Slytherin was… less than desirable. Harry had a feeling that Salazar would be turning over in his grave if he saw the collection of students in his house. Half of them were… Well, the term 'hideous' sprang to mind, and the other half, while not bad looking, wore expressions that said 'I don't want to be here, so kiss my ass. It'll make me feel better.'

That left Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Harry found himself unable to decide. Ravenclaw's atmosphere would enable him to study more. But, Hufflepuff's pack-like loyalty appealed to his wolf. On the other hand, Harry was descended from Ravenclaw herself…

_Ravenclaw, please._

_Yes, my Lord._ The hat opened his mouth. "RAVENCLAW!"

Harry joined his new house. As he sat down, he caught a scent on the air. Someone was angry. Harry followed the scent's 'trail' to it's origin. An old man in the center of the staff table was glaring at the Sorting Hat. Harry recognized him from the list of Headmasters in 'Hogwarts: A History.' Albus Dumbledore. The one who wanted Ron Weasley to be his friend.

Harry's smirk returned. Two for him. What did the Headmaster have planned next?


	2. Chapter 2: Year One

A/N: I am _so, so_ sorry. My family has gone through a shit-storm in the last few months, and I had _no_ time to write. Hopefully, things will improve… Oh, and to the reviewer named "Interesting," I've got a couple words for _you._ Fuck. Off.

Everyone else, thanks for the kind words. I really can't tell you how much better they make me feel right now.

Chapter 2: First Year

June 5th, 1992

Harry stretched lazily on a rock, watching the giant squid underneath the surface of the lake. He grinned to himself. There were certainly worse ways to end a school year.

Padma Patil lay next to him. "So…" she broke the silence. "Think next year will go this well?"

He chuckled under his breath. "One can only hope, my dear."

***

September 2nd, 1991

As usual, Harry woke with the dawn. His dorm mates, whose names escaped him at the moment, had been easily dominated the night before. Harry had wanted the bed next to the window, but one of them… Terry Boot! That was it. Terry had taken issue with that. Harry had taken the opportunity to establish the pecking order with a few sub-vocal growls, combined with a slight flaring of his magic, and some well placed glares. Terry had capitulated fairly quickly.

Harry showered and dressed, then went down to breakfast. To his surprise, he wasn't the first one there. Lavender, Padma, and Parvati were all seated at the Ravenclaw table. Harry had missed their placement last night, though by the color of their ties, they were also in Ravenclaw. As soon as the girls spotted him, they waved him over.

He smiled as he sat down. "Morning ladies. I'm impressed. I didn't think anyone else would be awake."

"We're all Auror brats." Lavender smiled back. "We're used to getting up at '0430' every morning. That's how we know each other. My dad and their mom are partners."

Harry nodded. "That explains it. Actually, my dad was an Auror." He reached for the sausage plate.

All three girls took in sharp breaths as they saw his hand. More specifically, the rings on it. "Merlin and Morgana!" Padma squeaked. "You're a house Lord?!"

"It so happens, yes." Harry piled the meat onto his own plate. "Found that out on my birthday. Hell of a present, wouldn't you say?"

"I'll say." Parvati shook her head. "How'd you pull that off? I know about the house of Potter. It's one of the oldest in existence, next to the founders. What about the others?"

Harry just grinned. "Funny you should mention the founders." He pointed to the ring on his middle finger. "Rowena Ravenclaw." Index finger. "Salazar Slytherin. Not entirely sure how, but their descendants got mixed in with the Potter line."

All three whistled. "Not bad, Potter." Lavender chuckled.

"I thought so." He grabbed some bacon. "Keep it under your hats though, alright? I'm famous enough as it is…"

They all promised, and went on with their breakfast.

After a while, the other students made their way into the hall. The group of four, who'd finished eating by now, were studying their text books. They were interrupted by someone Harry would just as soon have forgotten. "Excuse me."

Harry looked up, rolling his eyes. "Yes? Can we help you with something?"

Ron looked extremely uncomfortable. "Er… I was just wandering… if you'd like to play chess?"

The tension Ron felt was coming off him in waves. It made the muscles in Harry's neck tense up. "No, thank you Mr. Weasley." He went back to his book.

"Oh… Exploding snap, then?"

Harry sighed noisily. "Look, Mr. Weasley. I don't know what exploding snap is, and I'm currently at master level chess. I have no interest in playing either game, or any other with you. I am interested in studying my book, since I've heard that Professor Snape can be quite difficult unless you perform perfectly. Kindly return to your table, and stop pestering me."

Ron turned a brilliant shade of red, and stumbled off. The girls tried, and failed, to stifle giggles. "You certainly made your opinion of him clear. What'd he do to you?" Padma asked.

"Nothing. Yet." Harry responded. "I met him, and his family, at King's Cross yesterday. The Twins seemed alright, if a bit intense. The others…" He shuddered. "They're creepy, just a bit. Especially the youngest."

After breakfast ended, the four went to their first class of the day, potions.

Harry sat quietly in his seat. Professor Snape had yet to arrive, although the class had officially been in session for ten minutes already. Finally, a man in black robes arrived. Harry tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but the smell of the grease in his hair was a bit overwhelming.

After a moment, Harry became aware of Snape speaking to him directly. "Mr. Potter. Our new celebrity… I wonder how much your fame will help you in class?"

"Very little, I expect, Professor." Harry replied, trying to breathe as little as possible.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Snape asked.

"For one, your body language tells me that you're trying to put me on the defensive. I'm not sure why, but you are. That means you have an irrational dislike of me, which means that my 'fame' is more likely to cause me trouble with you than it is to help me."

Snape growled for a moment. He couldn't find a flaw in the argument. There wasn't even an insult he could harp on. He tried again. "And how do you expect to succeed in this class?"

"Studying, hard work. The typical ways of success."

Snape saw an opportunity. "Very well. Let's see how much you've studied. What potion is used to subdue a werewolf?"

"Wolfsbane potion, sir."

"And if a werewolf is exposed to wolfsbane directly?"

"One of two things happens. If the exposure occurs before their first transformation, they are cured of the condition. If it occurs after, they are lethally poisoned. The main reason werewolfism isn't cured in this way very often, is because of wolfsbane's rarity. It is very difficult to cultivate, and so must be used in potions rather than the cure."

Snape nodded. "And how is wolfsbane prepared for the potion?"

"It's turned into a powder. The potion only requires a single granule of the powder to be effective."

"What other ingredients are necessary?"

"Wyrmwood, powdered bi-corn horn, and a single strand of unicorn tail hair. It should be brought to a heavy boil for ten minutes, and then allowed to simmer for half an hour."

Snape nodded again. "Meet me after class, Mr. Potter." Snape redirected his attention back to the class. "Today, we will be brewing a simple Pepper-Up Potion. The directions are on page 5 of your textbooks, and you will find the necessary ingredients in the store cupboard. You have one hour. Begin."

Harry spent the next hour brewing his potion. Snape was correct in that it was simple, but it was also poisonous if not brewed correctly. Harry followed the directions meticulously. His result was a brilliant orange, exactly as it should be. Harry grinned to himself. 'Study, and hard work.'

Snape examined the many potions. Most of the Ravenclaws had brewed the potion perfectly, although the Hufflepuffs weren't so lucky. Harry estimated about half of them failed.

After the class filed out, Harry approached Snape's desk. "What did you want to speak to me about, sir?"

Snape looked him in the eye. "Mr. Potter. How long have you been a werewolf?"

Harry managed to hide his surprise at the question, just barely. "Almost four years, Professor. How did you know?"

Snape let out a snort. "I've met my fair share. I am both a master Occlumens and Legelimens. I can sense the wolf inside you without even trying. You are broadcasting his presence." He gave Harry a hard look. "How have you managed the transformations thus far?"

Harry regarded the Professor for a moment, before answering. "The man who turned me gave me instructions on mastering the curse. I followed them, which has afforded me constant control over my transformations. I typically transform in my uncle's shed, since not transforming at all makes me a bit jittery. Like drinking a few Pepper-Up potions for breakfast."

Snape nodded. "How do you intend to handle things here? You don't have a shed here."

Harry produced a small bag. "Powdered wolfsbane. Ragnok, the bank manager at Gringotts, procured some for me. Sad to say, this 2 oz. Bag is considered buying in bulk. I keep this with me, and the other ingredients in my trunk. I've also marked the days of the full moon on my calendar. It's not really necessary, but… I'd rather not take the risk."

Snape nodded. "If you require any assistance in brewing the potion, don't hesitate to ask." He paused for a second. "Out of curiosity, who was your sire?" Harry looked uncomfortable, so Snape continued. "I promise, I won't reveal it to anyone else without your permission."

Harry nodded. "Fenrir Greyback, sir."

Snape hissed. He'd hoped never to hear that name again…

"You know him, sir?"

"I've had the displeasure. You say he knows how to control the wolf?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. I've never lost control, so I have to assume he knows what he's doing."

"Would you be willing to divulge this information?" Snape asked. "I'm sure the Ministry of Magic would appreciate it."

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, but I know how this culture responds to werewolves. I've done my research. I won't be the one to reveal it."

Snape sighed, but didn't argue the point. Werewolves were considered little more than animals. Harry was right to wish privacy. "You do realize what will happen if you don't register yourself with the Ministry?"

"Yes, sir. I know. I'm hoping my control, combined with discretion, will allow me to keep my secret." Harry gave Snape a look. "Are you going to report me, sir?"

Snape shook his head. "No, Mr. Potter. You have the situation in hand. However, if you harm any students, I won't hesitate to turn you in."

Harry actually laughed at that. "You won't have to, sir. I'll have done it myself."

Snape nodded. "Very well. Dismissed, Potter."

Harry left. Snape sat back in his seat. _That boy isn't what I expected. According to Albus, He _chose_ to be in Ravenclaw, rather than attract prestige in Gryffindor. Perhaps he isn't his father after all…_

***

Time passed quickly from there. Harry and the girls excelled in all their classes, earning top marks from all their professors. This impressed everyone in the school, especially the Slytherins. Snape normally did his best to belittle anyone outside of his out house, but when it came to this group, he remained neutral.

It wasn't until Halloween that something strange occurred. During dinner, Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall, shouting about a troll, and fainting.

Harry knew immediately that something was up. The professor portrayed the emotion of fear well enough, but he didn't smell afraid. The human body gives off certain pheromones for every emotion it has, and Quirrell smelled confident. Extremely confident.

Dumbledore ordered all the students back to their dorms, but Harry hung back. The girls, who by know knew him well enough to see he was planning something stupid, stayed with him.

"Don't even think about sending us away." Lavender challenged him. "We're not going to let you get hurt."

Harry held up his hands. Even an Alpha knows better than to argue with a female. That was a battle you would NOT win. "I had no intention of doing that, Lavender. I'm not a complete idiot. Even I need help enacting my half-arsed plans. Now, come on. I want to follow Quirrell."

They moved quickly through the school, following Harry's nose. He hadn't revealed how, but they knew his sense of smell was unparalleled. The only problem was, Quirrell kept crossing his own path. Harry couldn't decide which way to go.

"Dammit to hell…" he growled. "Where did he go?"

Padma tapped his shoulder. "I don't know, but… Isn't that the troll?"

Harry looked. "Oh, shite." Indeed, it was the troll. Harry sniffed the air. No teachers handy. "Right. You girls remember that dueling book I showed you?" They nodded. "Remember the disarming spell?" More nods. "Get ready to use it."

The four of them moved quietly behind the troll. When they got close enough, Harry held up three fingers. He began counting down. Three. Two. One. "Now!"

Four voices rang out. "EXPELLIARMUS!"

The spells struck the troll in the back. It stumbled. Slightly. It then turned to face them. Stupid as it was, it knew what had attacked it.

"Ah… Slight kink in the plan here." Harry took a deep breath. "Suggestions?"

"Maybe we should run?" Parvati squeaked.

"No… Trolls just throw their clubs at anything that runs. Not very smart, but they've usually got great aim."

The troll began lumbering closer.

"Okay! New plan! Everyone cast the sunlight spell!"

"Are you sure about this?!" Lavender demanded.

"Not at all, but unless you've got a better idea?"

She sighed. "Not really. Let's do it!"

They aimed their wands. "LUMUS SOLEM!"

Four brilliant beams of light struck the troll. When the light dimmed, Harry saw something that made him grin. The troll had turned to stone.

"Should have tried that in the first place." He chuckled. "You'd think I'd have remembered that trolls can't stand sunlight. I've read the Hobbit, after all."

Padma shook her head. "You're barking, I swear…"

Harry was about to respond, when his ears twitched. "Teachers coming. Come on, we've got to go."

***

As the four of them got back to the common room, Parvati kept shooting Harry odd looks. Finally, once they were all seated, she confronted him. "So, why exactly were you going after Quirrell? You must have had a reason."

Harry shrugged. "He didn't smell afraid. He looked afraid, sounded afraid, but… his scent was off."

"You mean we almost got killed because you didn't like his _scent?!_" Lavender growled.

"Worked out well, didn't it?" Harry pointed out. "And I would have caught him, but I think he's on to me. He covered his tracks very well. Annoyingly well, as a matter of fact." He frowned. "Do I sniff the air a lot?"

"Yeah." Padma answered. "Almost constantly."

Harry sighed. "I'd better stop. It's giving me away. Although, for some reason, the third floor corridor has become fascinating. There's a scent up there, I have no idea what it is, but it's hard to tear myself away."

"Fascinating in what way?" Parvati asked. She had a gleam in her eye, one Harry recognized as her brain going into warp drive. Both the twins got it when they started researching something. "Is it appealing to your werewolf in some way?"

"Well, no, not as such, but— Wait." Harry turned a glare on her. "How do you know I'm a werewolf? I haven't told anyone except Professor Snape, and he figured it out with Legilimency."

All three girls snorted. "You've disappeared for both full moons thus far, Harry." Lavender smirked at him. "We're Ravenclaws, remember? The smartest of the four houses? It wasn't hard to put together. I'm pretty sure everyone knows."

Harry blinked in surprise. "And no one's said anything to one of the teachers? Or Dumbledore?"

"We wouldn't do that!" Parvati exclaimed, looking _extremely_ offended. "We're housemates! Besides, we smelled the wolfsbane potion. It's a bit fragrant, even to us. You've got it handled."

"Now answer the question, Potter." Padma grinned at him. "Does the scent fascinate your wolf?"

Harry shrugged. "Not quite… It's more along the lines of mildly interesting to the wolf. I think it's my human side that wants in. It's a scent I've never encountered, but the wolf knows what it is. It's telling me that…" His eyes widened. "It might be a threat! That's what it is!"

"A threat to whom?" Lavender asked. "Us? The wolf? The teachers?"

Harry shook his head. "No clue, Lav. For all I know, it's only a threat to Filch. In which case, I might just look the other way…"

The girls giggled. Parvati turned serious. "There has to be a way to find out what it is."

Harry nodded. "Most certainly. We break in."

***

For the next two months, the four of them made plans. The only problem they encountered was how to move about without being seen. Unfortunately, none of them could come up with anything. With all the danger this particular endeavor would bring, they couldn't risk being caught.

When the time came, they all elected to remain at Hogwarts for the holidays. On Christmas morning, they were still hard at work.

"Oh, here's something." Padma passed a book to the others. "Disillusionment. It's not invisibility, per se. More like blending in with your environment."

Harry looked it over, before shaking his head. "No. It's detectable by standard wards, and I guarantee Hogwarts has them." He sighed. "We need something unexpected."

They were silent for a moment, until Lavender's head rose up. "Okay. I have a really bad idea. What if we use the next full moon? Werewolves can move silently, when they need to, and no one will be able to detect you."

Harry frowned. "What about you three? That'll get _me_ in there, but you'll be out of luck."

She shrugged. "One of us will get in. You can report back to us, or something."

Harry smirked, snapping off a salute. "Yes ma'am, Drill Sargent, ma'am!"

The girls rolled their eyes, and swatted him.

He chuckled. "I don't have to take this abuse."

Parvati giggled. "Yes, you do."

He feigned surprise. "Oh, really? … Okay then."

Padma smirked. "When's the next full moon?"

"Day after Christmas." Harry responded.

"Right. We'll do it then."

***

Christmas morning came quickly. As Harry expected, the girls spent the day opening and enjoying their presents. He'd gotten them books on magical theory, which got him two hugs, and one kiss on the cheek, from Lavender, Parvati, and Padma respectively.

To his surprise, however, he'd gotten presents as well. Christmas and birthdays were generally ignored at the Dursleys'. They exchanged gifts among themselves, but other than that, things of that nature were treated as any other day.

He received a copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' from Parvati, all the potions ingredients (sans wolfsbane) needed for his potion from Lavender, and, to his delight, a mobile Wizarding Wireless from Padma. It had the ability to record up to 5,000 songs from the Wireless transmissions, and directed the sound straight to his ears, if he so chose.

And finally, there was a simple brown package. It had no name to tell them who it was from, just a simple card, reading as follows: '_Your father left this in my possession before he died. Use it well._'

After checking it for charms or traps, Harry opened it. A silvery mound of cloth lay inside.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Now this is interesting." He picked it up. A moment's examination told him that it was a cloak, so he put it on, lifting the hood up as he did.

The girls, who had gone to the loo (why they all went together was a mystery to Harry), came back in a moment later. Lavender looked around. "Harry? Are you here?"

Parvati frowned. "Do you think he went to breakfast?"

Harry blinked. What were they talking about? "Guys, I'm right here."

All three of them jumped in surprise. "Where?!" Padma exclaimed.

He tapped her shoulder. "Right here."

She reached out in his direction, her hands meeting his chest. Some part of her registered that he had the muscles of a Greek god. "Harry?"

"That's me."

"How are you… Why can't we see you?"

"You can't? But— Oh!" He snapped his fingers, and took the cloak off. "Guess this thing is more useful than I first thought."

Lavender looked fascinated. "An invisibility cloak! How'd you get ahold of one of those?"

He shrugged. "It was in my pile. Don't know who put it there, to be honest."

Parvati glared at where Harry's body should be, clearly suspicious. "I don't like it. It's a little too convenient."

Padma nodded. "I agree. Someone's engineering this."

Harry kept his sudden thought of their headmaster to himself. He also kept silent about his thoughts on the title "headmaster." As sex jokes went, it was a little obvious.

"Well," Lavender said thoughtfully, "if someone _is_ engineering our situation, then perhaps we should take advantage of it. We've been assuming that the other 'Claws know about Harry's condition—"

"A fair assumption, given that Mr. Boot wants to piss himself if I so much as look at him." Harry interrupted.

Lavender nodded. "And Professor Snape knows, but whether or not he'd tell anyone else is unknown."

"He strikes me as being honorable, despite what the Gryffs think of him." Harry put in.

Parvati frowned. "That doesn't help much. Either he's honorable enough to keep the secret, or he's honorable enough to not put the school in danger."

"He also knows that I've been brewing wolfsbane potion, and of my ability to control my animal side. He knows I'm not a danger."

"Then let's assume he hasn't told anyone." Padma said. "If that's the case, then whoever is manipulating things might not know about it. Although, if they're any good, they might have found out anyway." She turned to Harry. "Where do you go when you transform? I never figured that out."

"A room on the seventh floor." Harry answered. "I asked one of the house-elves to take me somewhere hidden, so I could transform in peace. I have to walk past an empty wall three times, focussing on what I need, and a door appears. Don't know where the room came from, or what it's proper name is, but it's quite useful, I can tell you."

"Sounds like." Padma agreed, before a look of surprise hit her face. "Wait. House-elves? What house-elves?"

Harry shrugged. "There's quite a few of them around the castle. I've tracked over a hundred different scents, all of them elvin. They do tend to stay out of sight, but they come if you ask."

Parvati grinned at her sister, before turning serious. "Alright. Near as I can tell, our plans are unchanged, right?"

"With the exception that you three can use the cloak, rather than the much-more-difficult disillusionment charm, yes." Harry grinned. "It's on for tomorrow night, ladies. Now, shall we go to breakfast?"

***

Harry was sitting on his bed, his eyes closed. There was almost no cloud cover tonight, and he wasn't taking any chances. He could hear and smell everything in the room, so navigating wouldn't be a problem. His roommates, who all preferred to study in the library over the holidays rather than go home, had gone to bed a few hours previous. It wasn't unusual for Harry to meditate before going to sleep, so they didn't question his position. He smirked. And they called themselves seekers of knowledge…

Harry's ears twitched as he heard the dog-whistle he'd conjured for Parvati. The common room was empty. Excellent. Slipping out of bed, he tip-toed down the stairs. He smelled the girls gathered in front of him. "Are we ready?"

"We are." Lavender whispered. "Come on, get under the cloak."

Once they were all hidden, the four of them exited the common room, causing the suit of armor guarding the door to make tutting sounds at them. Since the Ravenclaw dorms were located on the sixth floor, they began making their way downstairs.

Once on the fourth floor, Harry stopped by a clear window. "Alright. We're close enough. Time to make the change." He stepped out from under the cloak, and began taking off his clothes.

"Harry!" Parvati screeched silently (quite difficult to do). "What are you doing?!"

Harry smirked. He could smell the blood rushing into their faces, and imagined that their blushes were probably very fetching. "I don't want to mess up my clothes. I didn't bring a spare set." He paused. "Actually, that wouldn't have been a bad idea." Shrugging, he continued.

Once his clothes were all folded, he handed them to Lavender, turned to the window, and opened his eyes. The effect was immediate.

Harry's pupils widened until they completely dominated his eyes. The hair on his head lengthened at an incredible rate, while his body sprouted jet-black fur. His muscles, which was already impressive for his age, grew almost as quickly as his fur, and his bones lengthened, allowing him to grow taller than any man had a right to be.

His nose and mouth began to jut forward, forming into a muzzle, and a powerful jaw. His teeth lengthened, and became razor sharp, his canines in particular, which now measured at least six inches past his jaw-line. And finally, a tail hung from his lower back, reaching below his knees. He turned to his friends, gauging their reactions. Each of them looked oddly speculative.

"Hmm…" Parvati said softly. "You know, he's more impressive looking than your typical werewolf. I've seen pictures. They're actually a bit spindly looking, compared to this."

"You said it." Padma agreed. "We'll have to study the differences. Though, I don't know where we're going to get another werewolf. I suppose one of us would have to be bitten, to keep it all a secret…" she trailed off as she noticed Harry glaring at her. She shrugged. "Just thinking."

Shaking his head, Harry turned, and resumed his course toward the third floor. '_Girls are insane…_'

The door to the third floor corridor was (suspiciously) simple to open. However, they didn't get much farther than that before they heard something.

"_Reducto!_"

"_Protego! Expelliarmus!_"

Running forward, the werewolf and invisible girls discovered Professors Snape and Quirrill dueling in front of a large, three-headed dog. The dog itself had been injured, though Harry could smell that the wound had clotted. He would live, but he was incapacitated for the moment.

Thinking quickly, Harry leapt up, digging his claws into the wall. No one had noticed him yet, and he intended to keep it that way. He watched the duel with interest. Both professors were good at what they were doing, which surprised Harry slightly. He knew that Quirrill had been hiding his talents, but Snape was amazing. Both men's wands moved at an almost blinding speed, each spell movement flowing into the next. It all came to an end, however, when an errant spell blew past the girls. It didn't hit them, but the wind from the spell blew the invisibility cloak away.

Harry froze. To state the obvious, this was bad. He wanted to jump in and protect them, but he'd done extensive research on werewolves. He knew there were a multitude of spells to incapacitate a werewolf, and that both of the men before him were likely to know them.

For a moment, neither of the professors moved, their surprise overtaking them. The silence was broken when Quirrill flicked his wand at Lavender, causing her to fly into a headlock. The DADA professor glared at the others. "We're going after the stone, or I kill the girl."

Snape unleashed one of his best sneers. "You do that, and I kill _you_."

Quirrill seemed to consider that. "Good point." He drew his wand along Lavender's cheek, leaving a long gash. She whimpered.

Snape held up his hand. "Alright. That's enough."

"Thought you'd see it my way. Shall we?" Quirrill nodded toward the trap door. Snape flicked his wand, and opened it. Quirrill nodded. "Good. You first."

Grimacing, Snape jumped down.

After a moment, Quirrill shouted into the hole. "Well? Have you dealt with the devil's snare?"

Suddenly, there was a flash of bright light. "Yes. I have." Snape's sarcastic voice floated up.

"Good." Quirrill jabbed his wand in Lavender's face. "You. Cast a cushioning charm down there. Make sure it's a good one, your friends are going first."

Gulping, Lavender pointed her wand down into the hole. "_Mollis Terra!_"

Nodding, Quirrill turned to glare at the Patils. "Well, go on. I don't have all night."

Slowly, the girls walked forward, and jumped down. Quirrill and Lavender followed a moment later.

Harry let go of the wall, moving toward the trap door. Rather than jump down, he went the slow way, climbing down the walls of the hole. By the time he'd gotten to the bottom, the others had already gone through the next room, and there was a key trying to work it's way out of the lock. Harry grabbed it, and pressed his ear to the door.

"Knight to D-5!"

Harry blinked. They were playing chess? _Chess?!_ What kind of defense is chess?! His eyes narrowed. Something smelled about this, and it wasn't the burnt plant in the last room.

After what seemed like an eternity, he heard Quirrill shout "Checkmate," and a door opening and closing. Harry unlocked his own door, and ran into the room. Moving past the pieces of giant chessmen, Harry saw Parvati and Padma laying unconscious on the floor. He growled. They'd been used as sacrifice plays. Picking them up in his large arms, he moved to the next door. Quirrill and Snape were talking over the sounds of a fire.

"What's the answer to this riddle, Severus?"

"It doesn't matter." Snape drawled. "I set this up, remember? I can cancel it."

A second later, the sounds of a fire ended. Harry heard another door open, and close. He continued into the room, and onto the next door. He heard Quirrill shouting at someone in Latin, something along the lines of, "Sleep, idiot!" and another door. Following through, Harry saw a troll lying on the floor. '_Hmm… He can control them, it would appear. Halloween makes a lot more sense now._' Moving quickly, Harry went through the next door.

He found himself in a large room, with a mirror in the center. No one had heard him come in. Quirrill was focused on the mirror, and Snape was focused on Quirrill. Gently, Harry set the twins on the ground, freeing up his arms. He stalked forward silently.

"I know the stone is here." Quirrill muttered. "How do I get it? Break the mirror? No, that's too obvious. Dumbledore wouldn't do that. The magical community would go into an uproar if the Mirror of Erised was shattered. Hmm…"

A hissing voice carried on the air. "_Use the girl._"

Quirrill's eyes glazed over, and he nodded. "Girl. Look into the mirror, and think about the Philosopher's Stone."

Harry froze in his tracks. The Philosopher's Stone! Every Ravenclaw had heard of it. Capable of granting immortality, and endless riches, as well as being an alchemic focus. No one in recent history had been able to create one. In fact, the only person who had done so was Nicholas Flamel…

Lavender gulped. "I… I can see the stone. I'm holding it. I've put it in my pocket."

Quirrill's hand flew into Lavender's pocket, and pulled out a blood-red stone. A large grin spread over his features, and he held the stone up like a trophy. That, in hindsight, wasn't the best move.

Harry leapt forward, swiping the stone, and taking Quirrill's hand with it. The professor cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor.

Snape's eyes went wide. "Potter?"

Harry took a moment to nod.

Quirrill waved his wand quickly, cauterizing the wound, before glaring up at the werewolf. "Potter, eh? This is an interesting turn of events… But, did you know that the sun will be rising in five seconds? That's how long your transformation will last."

Harry did a few quick calculations. They'd left the tower at three in the morning, and it had taken them an hour to get to the third floor. Getting past the challenges would have gone quickly, but the chess game had taken almost two hours…

Harry felt his insides constrict, and he fell to his knees. Slowly, he shrank, his enormous body retracting to the size of an eleven-year-old. His fur disappeared, and his hair returned to it's shorter length. After almost a full minute, Harry, gasping for breath, was kneeling on the floor.

Quirrill smirked. "There. Now, hand over the stone. I'll need it to regrow the arm you took from me."

Harry stood, his strength slowly returning to him. "Um… No. I don't think so."

"What makes you think you have a choice?"

"Well, there's them." Harry pointed behind the man. Quirrill turned to see Snape and Lavender pointing wands at him. Harry smirked. "See? Taking hostages isn't smart. Now…" Holding his free hand toward Parvati, he summoned his wand. "You can either leave, or we'll have to end you. Your choice."

Quirrill pointed his own wand at Harry. "Not if I do this. Harry Potter, I challenge you to a duel." There was a soft glow in the air, which promptly vanished.

Harry rolled his eyes. While formal duels were protected by magic, Harry wasn't worried. "Fine. Just so you know, this isn't the best move you've made thus far. And given what _doozies_ you've done thus far…"

"Silence, Potter!" Quirrill snarled. "The terms are as follows. The duel ends when one of us is dead. Not before."

Harry nodded. "Fine. Shall we?"

Quirrill smirked. "_Avada Kedavera!_"

Harry dodged to the left, letting the curse impact on the ground. He was now _very_ thankful for all his practice in mastering the werewolf. His recovery time after the transformation was almost non-existent. Flicking his wand, he incanted, "_Reducto!_"

Quirrill quickly shielded. "_Sectumsempra!_"

Harry almost didn't manage to avoid that spell. It was invisible, and almost impossible to detect. Quickly, Harry pointed his wand. "_Sectumsempra!_"

Quirrill wasn't as lucky. He didn't possess Harry's impressive reflexes, and only managed to partially get out of the way. He also managed to lose his remaining arm.

Harry walked slowly up to the wailing man, pointing his wand at Quirrill's chin. He growled. "I have to kill you, don't I?"

Even through his pain, Quirrill managed to sneer. "That's the idea, Potter."

Harry took a breath. This would have been much easier a moment ago, before his transformation had reversed itself. The wolf had no problem with killing the little man, but Harry was having issues with it. He didn't want to end the life of another human being, no matter how repulsive they were.

However, the decision was made by another. The hissing voice returned. "_Well played, Harry. I concede this round to you. We shall meet again._"

From beneath Quirrill's turban, a wraith flew into the air, and up through the roof. Quirrill collapsed to the ground, dead.

Harry blinked. And blinked again. "Huh."

***

June 5th, 1992

Harry stretched lazily on a rock, watching the giant squid underneath the surface of the lake. He grinned to himself. There were certainly worse ways to end a school year.

Padma Patil lay next to him. "So…" she broke the silence. "Think next year will go this well?"

He chuckled under his breath. "One can only hope, my dear."

Parvati swatted him from his other side. "Please. Everything was quiet after Christmas break. A bit boring, for my tastes."

Lavender, who was sitting on the ground in front of them, rolled her eyes. "You weren't the hostage."

Harry snorted. "I don't see what you have to complain about. It's not as if your face wasn't healed perfectly."

"It was scary!" Lavender insisted.

"Yeah, yeah…" Flipping backward, Harry stood behind the rock, and buttoned up his shirt. "Come on. I don't want to miss the train."

Smiling, the girls joined him, and they went up to the castle.


End file.
